Craig McRae Hails Ned Long as Midfield ‘Beast’ After Breakout Performance, Leaving His Future at Collingwood in the Balance. Craig believes

Ned Long’s days as Collingwood’s substitute appear to be behind him, with coach Craig McRae praising the former Hawk as a midfield “beast” following his standout performance in the Magpies’ dominant 31-point win over Sydney on Friday night.

Long was a key figure in Collingwood’s impressive 109-78 victory at Adelaide Oval, a result that extended their unbeaten streak at the venue to 10 games. In a display that showcased his growing influence in the midfield, Long racked up 29 disposals (17 contested), nine clearances, 10 score involvements, and six tackles, complementing the work of midfield stars Nick Daicos, Scott Pendlebury, and Steele Sidebottom.

McRae, who had named Long as a substitute in three of the team’s first four games this season, admitted the young gun had well and truly earned a permanent spot in the starting lineup after his remarkable performance.

“I don’t think he’ll be sub for a while,” McRae said post-game. “His contest work is so strong, he’s such a beast at the contest, and if he’s not winning it himself, he’s getting it back.”

The coach revealed that the team had made a point of rewarding Long for his efforts inside the rooms after the game. “It was hard to tell him a couple of weeks in a row he was the sub, but tonight it was ‘Just go and enjoy it, mate,’ and he elevated our midfield,” McRae added.

Long’s rise comes after a full pre-season and a year of growth, with McRae confident in the 21-year-old’s potential. “He complements our group right now, he adds pressure, and you saw tonight he’s going to be hard to stop when he plays like that.”

While Long’s performance was a standout, Collingwood’s win was a collective effort. The Pies displayed impressive class and speed, with the experienced players, including Daicos, Pendlebury, and Sidebottom, showing their quality across the ground.

Looking ahead, McRae’s side will head to Brisbane next week for a heavyweight clash with the reigning premiers, the Lions.

“It’s going to be a great game. They’re going to be hard to beat,” McRae said. “We’ll stay here for a minute, we’ve got six days to get ready for that. We’ll watch Brisbane tomorrow and go up there with good confidence.”

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MATCH DETAILS
COLLINGWOOD 4.3 10.7 13.11 16.13 (109)
SYDNEY 4.1 8.2 10.4 12.6 (78)

GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 3, Hill 3, Mihocek 3, McCreery 2, Crisp, Hoskin-Elliott, McStay, Membrey, Sullivan
Sydney: McLean 3, Heeney 2, Hanily 2, Co. Warner 2, Campbell, Hayward, Sheldrick

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Ed Allan (replaced Jamie Elliott in the second quarter)
Sydney: Angus Sheldrick (replaced Joel Amartey in the second quarter)

Crowd: 47,649 at Adelaide Oval